Malian and Senegalese soldiers worked with their counterparts from the Special Operations Task Force (SOF) - 103, taking part in classes on small unit tactics, movements, and convoy vehicle recover drills, May 11, 2010 in Bamako.

Miss America 2010, Caressa Cameron, receives some help from 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Soldiers as she prepares to take a simulated parachute drop and practice landing on a ship, using virtual reality technology, on May 13.

"Theater of War," a project of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, was performed in Heidelberg at the Patrick Henry Village Theater May 12 as the first of 18 performances scheduled in Germany.

About 200 family members, friends and community supporters came to the Fargo Civic Center this morning to show their appreciation for 43 Soldiers who spent a year in Afghanistan. The North Dakota Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment's RAID (Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment) III group, along with their family members and employers, were honored for their service during a Freedom Salute.

BREVARD, N.C. - Tucked away at the entrance of the Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, the small community of about 6,000 residents welcomed the nation's second Army Strong Community Center during a grand opening ceremony May 15.

<b>What is it' </b>
The Army Training Concept (ATC) is a new Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) concept capability plan for the future 2012-2020 Modular Force. The ATC describes the training requirements and capabilities for the Army to generate and sustain trained units that can successfully conduct full-spectrum operations (FSO) across the spectrum of conflict in an uncertain joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational (JIIM) environment over an extended period. Separate from and complementary to the Army Leader Development Strategy (ALDS), it informs the development of the Army Training Strategy, and exploits the synergy across the training domains to achieve Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) objectives.

Col. Ray Bailey, Command Chaplain U.S. Army Europe (right) and Lt. Col. Taavi Laanepere, Chief of Chaplains Estonia Defence Force (center), discuss religious support issues of the Estonian military chaplaincy in Tapa, Estonia, May 13, 2010. Several chaplains from U.S. Army Europe and the Estonia Defence Force were in attendance at the meetings. This is the U.S. Army Europe Command Chaplain's first visit with the Estonian Chief of Chaplains. The U.S. Army Europe Chaplain's Office conducted the visit with the Estonian Defence Force chaplains to build partnerships between the land forces components of the two nations. The Estonian Military Chaplaincy was restored in 1996. This year the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps celebrates its 235th year of service as a branch.

A group of 25th Infantry Division Soldiers and family members received awards for volunteering from Maj. Gen. Bernard S. Champoux, commanding general, 25th Infantry Division during the division's Volunteer Recognition Ceremony May 13 at the Post Conference room, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - The 2010 Army Family Action Plan Conference may have come and gone, but the issues raised by delegates at this past spring's brief-out continue to command the attention of U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii leadership.

WAHIAWA, Hawaii - Along with the sweet and delicious taste of Hawaiian pineapple, diverse local culture and vast history was celebrated during the Wahiawa Pineapple Festival and parade, held here, May 8.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - It's a typical Monday, and instead of slogging her way through the day like the majority of the working population, Adrian Jones whizzes through a spin class before a full day of work, bounces through a step class, dances through a zumba class and finishes out the day with hefting weights and stair stepping, at the Fort Shafter Gym, and the Health and Fitness Center and Martinez Physical Fitness Center, here.

At the far end of the busy flight line: the sci-fi looking hanger where Air Force One is housed. At the other end, thousands of military family members and school groups were entertained during an exclusive preview of the 2010 Joint Service Open House.

The new federal strategy for restoring and protecting the Chesapeake region, released on May 12, 2010, includes initiatives to restore clean water, implement new conservation practices on four million acres of farms, conserve two million acres of undeveloped land, and restore oysters in 20 tributaries of the Bay.

Soldiers in period uniforms, Gold Star Families and interactive displays by tenant commands were part of the pageantry on parade during the 2010 Armed Forces Day activities May 14 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Installation Commander Maj. Gen. Nick Justice and Garrison Commander Col. Orlando Ortiz welcomed more than 500 visitors during opening ceremonies at the installation's Ordnance Museum.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Defending champion Mike Brady didn't mind the windy conditions on the second day of the 2010 post golf championship.
While his eight competitors may have wished for better weather, Brady shot a 1-over 73, improving from his first-day 75. He won the tournament for the third straight year May 1-2 at the Links. This was his final appearance in the active-duty championship because he's retiring from the Air Force in July.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Among the presentations about missile weapon systems, weapon system technology and the management of weapon systems, two Soldiers speaking to attendees at the Tactical Missiles Conference brought the day's meetings to the very heart of the matter - saving Soldier lives.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Cpl. Jason Scarborough is on a mission of fitness and health.
This wounded warrior has been spending several hours a week at the Sparkman Fitness Center, working with certified personal trainer Joe Martin to gain strength in his injured knee and to shed the 50 pounds he has gained since sustaining his injuries during a deployment to Iraq.

The African Land Forces Summit concluded Friday with remarks from Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett, as they emphasized cooperation and flexibility among military forces, and thanked each delegate for their contributions to the historic gathering.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Fort Sam Houston honored men and women who have devoted their lives to keeping the home fires burning May 7 during Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a free event at Army Community Service.

The Warrior Games' cycling competition, held at the U.S. Air Force Academy Thursday in a May snow shower, would have daunted the toughest of professional cyclists, but not wounded, ill and injured servicemembers.

SEATTLE - As they soaked up the first year of Seattle Sounders FC soccer in 2009, Glen Mulkey and Matt Goecks began to wonder what it would be like to share that unique experience with wounded warriors. Mulkey, a corpsman at Naval Hospital Bremerton, and Goecks, a specialist with 110th Chemical Battalion at Joint Base Lewis McChord, loved the camaraderie they discovered as members of the Emerald City Supporters, the Seattle team's support group. They even became founding members of the ESC Armed Services Group for current and former military. Reaching out to the JBLM Warrior Transition Battalion through soccer made perfect sense to the two men. So this year they sought to create a bridge between the Sounders and the WTB.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - The Army Family Covenant continues improving quality of life for Army families. One of the more evident ways it's doing so at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is through the opening of a new facility on JBLM Lewis Main.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - With joyous reunions their focal images, ceremonies for military units coming home from combat zones appear from the outside to be simple to organize and execute. What could be easier than calling families to greet their Soldiers - then getting out of the way' Though the operations and deployment pace of units assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord gives units plenty of practice, reunions and reintegrations require time, care and effort.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Opening ceremonies of the Civil War re-enactment at Fort Steilacoom Park May 1 dedicated the event to Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier, Specialist Aaron Aamot. During the ceremony, a bell rang 22 times, once for each of the Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment who have died in Afghanistan, as their names were read. Among the many people in period dress, Aamot's parents, Mark and Julie, were in attendance at the event.

The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, gives a speech to more than 1,000 Soldiers and their Families at Fort Campbell. Karzai wanted to meet and thank Soldiers and their Families for their service and sacrifice not only to their country but to Afghanistan as well.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Being a military spouse can be a daunting role filled with long days living in a service member's shadow, but Stephanie Gonzalez is proof that doesn't have to be the case. Since marrying an Army officer, Gonzalez has learned to adapt and make the most of a lifestyle in which changes and relocating are inevitable. She does this by approaching each move as a new opportunity.

TACOMA, Wash. - The best place on the planet to be wearing a military uniform Saturday evening might have been Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. The Seattle Mariners' Triple A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers pulled out all the stops with Salute to Armed Forces Night. With Tacoma the center of a military-rich part of the state, Alyson Jones, director of media development and events, said Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines form a significant part of the Rainiers' fan base.

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz.-- About 5,000 people attended more than 60 exhibits during Fort Huachuca's Safety Day, Thursday, in Barnes Field House. The event is designed to teach the public about various safety aspects such as how to use a fire extinguisher and different community programs. Attendees were also welcome to have their vision checked and given the opportunity to drive a golf cart while wearing goggles that gave the illusion of what it's like to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

MCALESTER, Okla.--April 29, Lt. Gen. Pillsbury, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, put a finger on the pulse of the center and school for ammunition logistical support and explosives safety.

<b>FORT STEWART, Ga. </b>- Installation Management Command recently unveiled both its campaign plan outlining how every Soldier, Family Member, and Civilian plays a vital role in supporting our nation's warriors and a new IMCOM logo.
The plan is a living document that focuses on six areas, or "lines of effort:" Soldier, Family and Civilian Readiness; Soldier, Family and Civilian Well Being; Leader and Workforce Development; Installation Readiness; Safety; and Energy Efficiency and Security. The new IMCOM brand showcases the installations importance as the Army's home.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The theme of Tuesday afternoon's discussions at the African Land Forces Summit focused on the myriad of security challenges on the continent with causes ranging from violent extremism to climate change.
Guest speaker Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, Provost and Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Miami University, provided the summit's 31 delegations with an overview of historical trends on continental security, stability, and politics.

Even the rain didn't stop leaders and children of Fort Leavenworth from breaking ground in real grass and dirt indoors in preparation for a new child care facility May 10.
A $5 million facility will soon be under construction north of the current Child Development Center at 120 Dickman Ave. Carol Shafer, director of Child, Youth and School Services, said that the facility would be a combination building - for child care under age 5 and for the School-Age Services program.

A Vietnam veteran, a former U.S. Senator and students from all over the globe were honored at the 58th Annual Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation luncheon May 6 at the Marriott Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. This event is held annually on or before the May 8 birthday of the late President Truman.
Retired Col. Robert R. Ulin received the Philip Pistilli Silver Veteran's Medal, former Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri received the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award, and students from 25 other countries were recognized for receiving scholarships from local colleges during the luncheon.

A Medal of Honor recipient from World War II and a Vietnam-era Army aviator turned Congressman became the newest members of the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame in a ceremony May 11 at the Lewis and Clark Center.
Col. Charles W. Davis and Rep. Leonard L. Boswell of Iowa, both former students and instructors at the Command and General Staff College, were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Intermediate level military officers who have combat experience must use their experience to influence their branches as they enter leadership positions, the secretary of Defense told Command and General Staff College students May 7.
Robert Gates visited Kansas this month to talk with Intermediate Level Education students at CGSC, commemorate the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, and meet with military spouses at Fort Riley.

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., U.S. Army Chief of Staff, addressed military officers at the Naval Postgraduate School as part of the Secretary of the Navy's Guest Lecture series, May 13. The NPS is an academic institution whose emphasis is on study and research programs relevant to the Navy's interests, as well as to the interests of other arms of the DoD. While in California Casey also visited the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. DFLIC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the nation. The Institute provides resident instruction in 24 languages and several dialects, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night.

Trophy Point had a distinct Asian flair May 7 when it was turned over to Chinese, Korean and the Filipino members of cadet Asian-Pacific groups and their guests to showcase their food, cultural dances and demonstrations of martial arts for the 9th annual Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration. This event is sponsored by the West Point Equal
Opportunity Office and the Simon Center for Professional Military Ethic department.

On May 5, a team of civil and mechanical engineering majors visited the
Statue of Liberty for a live demonstration of their capstone project, a device which makes evacuating casualties inside the national monument safer and faster.

The West Point Association of Graduates honors five distinguished graduates at 11 a.m. May 18 during the alumni exercise and review ceremony on the Plain. The distinguished graduate honor was first awarded in 1992. Awardees are nominated by presidents of West
Point societies and U.S. Military Academy classes and are chosen by a WPAOG committee.

More than 200 wounded warriors came together over the past week in athletic competition to showcase their abilities and potential at the inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo. The U.S. Olympic Committee hosted the games and events, which included shooting, swimming, archery, track, discus, shot put, cycling, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

Louisiana National Guard's Soldiers continued transporting water diversion system materials yesterday in support of the shoreline protection mission near the southwest pass of the Mississippi River delta.

<b>What is it' </b>
In Afghanistan, relevant and current information impacts the decision-making process on the ground. With 45 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troop-contributing nations (TCN), the much-needed information resides on nine recognized networks, often with national restrictions. To overcome these obstacles, the Afghan Mission Network (AMN) was created to foster collaboration and information sharing by all ISAF TCNs. The U.S. AMN segment, CENTRIX-ISAF (CX-I), is scheduled for June 2010 implementation.

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - Gen. George W. Casey, Army chief of staff, visited the Presidio of Monterey May 13. Casey spoke with Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center staff and students and learned about the various technologies that help facilitate language proficiency.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Shields of Strength hang around the neck of hundreds of Rangers, including competitors in the 2010 Best Ranger Competition, engraved with scripture, prayers and military insignia. They're fashioned after military dog tags, but the shields cross all walks of life. They have been worn by members of all services and their families, by public safety officials, athletes and politicians - by more than 3 million Americans - since 1997.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - The annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Benning Conference Center. The theme for the luncheon is "Diverse Leadership for a Diverse Work Force."

FORT BENNING, Ga. - It wasn't exactly rocket science, at least not with all the nuts and bolts - but it was close. Jack Frederick, principal systems engineer with Raytheon Company, explained how rockets, missiles and similar technology function during a MathMovesU presentation Monday at Faith Middle School.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. - The 47th U.S./German PATRIOT Program Management Review meeting was held April 27-29 in Hamburg, Germany. Representatives from the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command's Security Assistance Management Directorate, the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement, the Lower Tier Project Office, German Air Force Weapons Systems Command, Raytheon, and ITT-CAS were in attendance.

Because of Army Family Action Plan submissions, Fort Benning housing leaders recently changed the way work orders are handled and how the community learns about the basic housing allowance, said post program manager Stacie Boyer.

Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine, commanding general of the Army Sustainment Command, participated in a ceremony celebrating the signing of the Army Community Covenant with area mayors and Rock Island Arsenal leadership May 7.
The Rock Island Arsenal Chapter of the AUSA hosted a "Military Salute" day at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, as part of activities prior to a minor league game.

<b>FORT STEWART, Ga. </b>- Children from Diamond Elementary School showed their commitment to fitness by sacrificing their sleep on a Saturday morning to run in the second annual Diamond Elementary School Marathon Club Fun Run, held May 8 at Fort Stewart.

The Army accession command is releasing this week "version 3" of their blog, "Army Strong Stories." What they need now are more Soldiers to sign up to populate the site with real-world insight and perspective about the Army.

FORT SILL, Okla.--It was a fairy tale day in court as judge Capt. Erin Morris tried to keep the plaintiff, Mr. Big Bad Wolf (Sgt. Franklin McDonald), the defendant, Mr. Curly Pig (Sgt. Timothy Vann) and a crowd of elementary students under control.
It was a new twist on a classic story as the "The Three Little Pigs" was played out in a mock trial for Geronimo Road Elementary School students as part of Law Day.
"We do this because it's our way of teaching or at least exposing children to the law, to legality cases, and conflict,"said Morris.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - It's been three days since the start of the inaugural Warrior Games for wounded, ill and injured service members at the Olympic Training Center, and the commander of the Warrior Transition Command is already dreaming about future competitions.
BG Gary H. Cheek, who is also the assistant surgeon general of warrior care and transition, said he hopes the games will become an annual event with additional sporting categories, winter sports and even the participation of U.S. allies.

Ryan Newman and crewmembers from the No. 39 U.S. Army NASCAR team visited Fort Benning May 5.
The purpose of the trip was to give Newman and the U.S. Army/Stewart-Haas Racing pit crew an overview of the training Soldiers undergo and to look for synergies which the pit crew could adapt into their own training program.
Though the day centered on pit crewmembers engaging in the U.S. Army Ranger exercise regimen, there was also a pit-stop style competition between the pit crew and Soldiers on an M88 Recovery Vehicle and on the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet.

FORT SILL, Okla.--The pleasant temperatures and clearing skies mirrored the quiet of the tiny hamlet. However, the day's tranquility shattered in a resounding thump as an explosion rocked the small buildings sending Soldiers scurrying for cover as small arms fire opened up from several nearby structures. Squad members returned fire pinning down enemy combatants and covering other Soldiers who leap-frogged from one covered position to the next to flank the enemy and clear the buildings.

Constant communication and continuous feedback are two of the goals for information technology communication in the Army today. Having the ability to immediately disciminate information, get feedback and respond to questions are key to meeting the needs of our Soldiers, Families and Civilians.

FORT BENNING, Ga.- Looking for a job or planning a transition from military to civilian life'
The Association of the U.S. Army, in partnership with Fort Benning and the Georgia Department of Labor, will host a job fair at Freedom Hall Wednesday. Doors open at 9 a.m. for wounded warriors and their families and at 10 a.m. to the general public, including military veterans, retirees, Department of the Army civilians and family members. The fair ends at 2 p.m.

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - It's official. The 3rd Sustainment Brigade has made its way to Iraq and is starting the process of picking up the logistical mission from the 15th Sustainment Brigade of Fort Hood, Texas.